Skye Bridge

The Skye Bridge Seen from the Am Ploc
Viewpoint

There's something romantic about an island, and for many people the
most romantic of Scottish islands is Skye.
Since 16 October 1995, Skye has been linked to
mainland Scotland by a bridge, and there are those who feel it ceased to be a
true island as a result. For others, the Skye Bridge is simply a faster and
more reliable way to cross to the Isle of
Skye. As the image above shows, it is actually two bridges, which use the
island of Eilean Bàn as a stepping
stone en route.

Until 1995 you had a choice of three ferry routes to
Skye. The CalMac ferry from
Mallaig to Armadale remains a firm
favourite, while the Glenelg to
Kylerhea ferry continues to provide a March to October alternative for
those wishing to explore a fascinating corner of the Highlands. But in October
1995 the ferries from Kyle of Lochalsh to
Kyleakin were withdrawn from service, and
traffic instead began to use the new Skye Bridge.

Skye Bridge
Framed by the Cuillin, & Kyle of Lochalsh in the Foreground

Some will still remember
Kyle of Lochalsh
and Kyleakin as places in which you
unwillingly queued for the ferries at busy times. This all changed with the
opening of the bridge. The road from the Skye
end of the bridge bypasses Kyleakin,
making it a rather quieter place than it used to be, while
Kyle of Lochalsh
is, if anything, still more bustling than before and much more attractive.

The Skye Bridge was the subject of controversy both before it was
built and during its construction: and it remained controversial afterwards.
The tolls set when the bridge opened were based on the fares of the ferries it
replaced, and as a result it became, taking length into account, the most expensive toll bridge in Europe.
Often overlooked in the heat of the debate were the benefits the bridge offered
over the ferries it replaced. It is open 24 hours per day; it isn't nearly so
subject to adverse weather; the ferry queues that blighted the area in Summer
disappeared overnight; and when tolls were charged, regular users of the bridge paid only about half
price anyway. Most importantly, the bridge was only built at all because of a
funding package that assumed the tolls would mirror the ferry fares.

On the other hand, once the bridge was built it was logically very
difficult to justify tolls on the Skye Bridge when a number of other bridges
built to replace ferries in the Highlands were toll free: examples being the
Kessock,Kylesku and
Ballachulish bridges.
In the end, and almost in spite of some of the more fanciful economic arguments
put forward by some opponents of the tolls, the Scottish Government grasped the
nettle, and at 7.30am on 21 December 2004 tolls were removed from the bridge.
There has since been no charge for crossing the Skye Bridge in either
direction, and the bridge is no less beautiful for being free...

Another View from the Am Ploc Viewpoint

Visitor Information

View Location on MapSkye Bridge tolls were removed on 21 December 2004. Crossing the bridge is free.

The Bridge, and Kyle of Lochalsh

Seen from the Top of the
Lighthouse

Seen from Below

Island and Bridge

Passing
Under the Bridge at Dawn

The Bridge
Under Construction

Loch Fyne: One of the Ferries Replaced by the
Bridge

Visitor Information

View Location on MapSkye Bridge tolls were removed on 21 December 2004. Crossing the bridge is free.